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"Fantasy Island": Label this one a noble experiment. The...

December 26, 1998|By Allan Johnson, Tribune Staff Writer.

"Fantasy Island": Label this one a noble experiment. The remake of the 1978-84 series was well-received by

some critics, partly because it wasn't the warm and fuzzy guest fest Ricardo Montalban previously hosted as the mysterious Mr. Roarke. As a more sinister Roarke, Malcolm McDowell was great and without a doubt had magical powers. Most of the episodes' fantasies had a cool "be careful of what you wish for" edge; the show never became a repository for washed-up stars; and executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld ("The Addams Family") brought his unique visual style to the table. But audiences slowly went over to CBS' "Martial Law," some of the fantasies didn't live up to expectations, and Sonnenfeld wasn't as involved as ABC would have liked. Sonnenfeld promised more participation and ABC said it would order more episodes, but "Fantasy Island" (8 p.m. Saturday, WLS-Ch.7) was still, unfortunately, canceled, although segments are scheduled to air through January. Meanwhile, Comedy Central shows one of the funniest episodes of series television in years: the "South Park" holiday show introducing Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo, at 9 p.m.